Seòmar agus comataidhean

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-11261 on 19 October 2022. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers

This information is not centrally held. While the Scottish Government’s role is to set the strategic policy for the NHS in Scotland, NHS Boards and healthcare professionals locally have responsibility for both service delivery and people’s care. NHS Boards are expected to ensure that patients, including those who require care and support for ME/CFS, have access to a range of professionals to provide the appropriate management of their condition.

Given the range of symptoms which can be experienced with ME/CFS, we know there is no ‘one-size fits all’ response and our approach is to support people to access care and support in a setting that is appropriate and as close to their home as is practicable.

Our strengthening of the primary care workforce through recruitment of multi-disciplinary teams is making it easier for people to access this type of care and support. We have now recruited over 3,220 professionals, including community nurses and physiotherapists, with increased funding of £170m in 2022-23 to support further development of multi-disciplinary teams.

The Scottish Government has had no recent discussions with Talgo with regards to its proposed investment at Longannet, which was tied to its bid to construct trains for HS2.While Talgo was one of the shortlisted potential suppliers of HS2 trains in a procurement competition run by HS2 Ltd (over which the Scottish Government had no control), it was subsequently excluded from the competition removing the underpinning reason for Talgo’s investment. Team Scotland is open to having discussions with Talgo regarding any potential investment at Longannet, or indeed anywhere in Scotland, and Scottish Enterprise remain engaged with Scottish Power (owners of Longannet) around enquiries about potential development of the site.

The Scottish Government co-funds and participates in the Perinatal Audit and Perinatal Mortality Review Tool as part of Mothers and Babies, Reducing Risk through Audits and Confidential Enquiries across the UK (MBRRACE-UK).

The Scottish Government continues to support implementation of The Best Start programme, in partnership with senior leaders and clinicians, and evidence suggests that Best Start interventions such as continuity of carer are particularly important for women and babies who may experience inequalities in health outcomes. Scotland has a programme of work underway to tackle racialized inequalities in health outcomes, and NHS maternity services are part of that work. Scotland also participates in the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists’ Race Equality Taskforce .

The Scottish Government is working with partners to identifying suitable long term sustainable accommodation so we can continue to support displaced people whilst they are in Scotland.

On 22 September, we introduced a new fund with up to £50m to bring void council and Registered Social Landlord properties into use and to increase available housing supply. We are working closely with Local Government resettlement teams across the country to support those currently in hotel and ship accommodation transition into longer term accommodation and host offers.

We are currently in the process of evaluating minimum unit pricing (MUP) as a whole over its first five years of operation. Public Health Scotland will be producing a final report on MUP in 2023, which will inform our evaluation report which will be laid in Parliament and published in 2023.

Work on reviewing the level of MUP has started as part of our overall evaluation, as the impact of MUP is connected to the unit price. We are evaluating the impact of MUP at the current price of 50 pence per unit and will assess what level MUP should be set at going forward, if MUP is to continue. It is important that we have a robust evidence base to support any decision on a change in the level of MUP.

Part of this work includes a Business and Regulatory Impact Assessment which will look at the likely costs, benefits and risk of any proposed legislation. This will include how any changes to MUP will interact with any potential changes to excise duty.

Scotland’s Redress Scheme has been developed to ensure that survivors of abuse in relevant care settings are at the heart of the process at all times, and can maintain decision making responsibilities regarding their application and the content of that application.

The kind of information needed to accompany an application may come from diverse sources. In some cases it may already be in the applicant’s possession, or in the possession of others who were in the same establishment that they have kept in touch with. It is important that we acknowledge that personal data belongs to an individual and that when accessing information this is done in line with data protection law to ensure data is used properly and legally.

In line with the response issued to question S6W-10847 on 21 September 2022, it is an important aspect of the Scotland’s Redress Scheme that applicants have support available to them at all stages of the process, including to support accessing of records and other information relevant to their application.

When additional support is required, case workers refer applicants to the Redress Support Service provided by the In-Care Survivors Alliance. The In-Care Survivors Alliance draws on its existing network of over 70 delivery partners to provide support.

The Redress Support Service can help applicants access the emotional, practical or access to records support they require. They currently have contracts with two delivery partners; Birthlink and Wellbeing Scotland, who provide additional support for applicants in accessing records.

Support to access records can also be provided by a nominated representative, which may be a solicitor, with the scheme ensuring there is provision for legal fees to be paid directly to solicitors.

The Privacy Notice for Survivor Applicants and the Privacy Notice for Next of Kin Applicants provide details on how the information collected by Scottish Government, as administrators of Scotland’s Redress Scheme, is managed and how it is used.

All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers
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We welcome the recommendations made within the recent Scottish stakeholder review of the ME/CFS NICE guideline and are working with stakeholders on how best to implement these. The report was produced independently by Blake Stevenson Ltd to present the views gathered during a stakeholder engagement exercise commissioned by the Scottish Government.

Continued partnership is at the core of delivering and improving the Super Sponsor Scheme. The Scottish Government is grateful to the continued work of local authorities, including City of Edinburgh Council, in their support to displaced people who have had to flee their homeland.

The Scottish Government understand that arrangements underpinning the Super Sponsor Scheme have incurred costs which could be considered out of scope of the various UK tariffs. We continue to urge the UK Government to have parity of funding no matter the route through which someone arrives.

Officials are in discussions with COSLA to finalise a framework through which local authorities will be reimbursed for costs incurred due to the super sponsor scheme as well as engaging directly with City of Edinburgh council to understand and agree costs incurred by the council since the scheme opened for applications.

The Scottish Government would like to offer reassurance that reasonable costs associated with the super sponsor scheme will be met by the Scottish Government.

There are over 300 Properties in Care managed by Historic Environment Scotland, the vast majority of which are currently open and with free entry to visitors. Providing access to our world-renowned historic sites, particularly during the cost-of-living crisis, is one of the ways we can make cultural places accessible, understood, shared and enjoyed by everyone.

I will continue discussing future potential approaches for our Properties in Care with Historic Environment Scotland.